---
title: Guidance for using no scaling in markbooks
description: Guidance for using no scaling in markbooks | Help & Support — GO 4 Schools
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# Guidance for using no scaling in markbooks
Guidance for using no scaling in markbooks
When using grading schemes in markbooks there are options to apply different scaling. The different approaches to scaling will impact in the way grades are displayed in the markbook. This document uses examples to explain the impact of using **no scaling** with edited grades at both marksheet and assessment level.
In general, we recommend that no scaling is only used where marksheets **do not contribute** to the current grade. It is suitable for use when you require an unrelated grading scheme for a particular marksheet or assessment, such as for recording attitude or effort. We do not advocate it’s use for recording marks for past papers, when **auto scaling** or **advanced scaling** should be used.
#### **Comparing use of no scaling and auto scaling**
These examples are using the qualification 601/4836/6 Pearson English Language GCSE with the Grade boundaries from June 2019.
### **Marksheets set up**
Grade boundaries for the mark book are default (nothing has been explicitly set here)
Two marksheets set up with **edited grade boundaries at marksheet level**. The first which uses automatic scaling, whilst the second is set to no scaling
Grade boundaries set as per the exam board, which means % for each grade is the same in both marksheets and looks like:
Note that the percentages shown above are rounded but the grade boundaries will reflect the true percentages based on calculating the mark divided by the maximum mark. So in the above example 83 marks is the grade boundary for a grade 4 which is actually 51.875%.
**Output: automatic scaling.**
****
Note percentage. 83/160 is 51.88% which is showing correctly in marksheet for automatic scaling.
It shows 40% on current grade because that is the grade boundary for grade 4 at markbook level to which the marks have been scaled.
**Output: no scaling** – note this would contribute a grade 5 to the current grade (if it was weighted to contribute), because the marksheet percentage is 51.88% and therefore is above the low threshold for the grade 5 in the markbook grading scheme.
The markbook view will show the grades like this:
When % for marksheet is displayed in markbook:
With the grade settings showing % for current grade as well as the grade the markbook would look like this:
Summary:
- Using automatic scaling, gives desired grade. The markbook % shows the result and not the % contributing to the sheet.
- Using no scaling, gives desired grade in marksheet but it would not contribute the correct grade to the current grade. Hence no scaling should only be used when not contributing.
### **Assessment level Example**
The example below has two further marksheets set up with **edited grade boundaries at assessment level**. The first uses automatic scaling, whilst the second is set to no scaling.
If we scale at assessment level rather than marksheet level – using the same grade boundaries.
**Output: automatic scaling**
****
Notice that the percentage is now showing from the markbook scheme NOT the % of 83/160. This may not be helpful to teaching staff and may not be your desired intention.
**Output: no scaling**
****
Notice that the percentage is now showing the % of the marks but the marksheet grade is now based on markbook scheme – and thus not what teaching staff expecting to see.
If we display grades for the marksheets in the markbook we see
And if we display % for the marksheet in the markbook we see
Summary:
- Using automatic scaling, gives desired grade. The markbook % shows the result and not the % contributing to the sheet.
- Using no scaling, gives desired grade in marksheet but it would not contribute the correct grade to the current grade. Hence no scaling should only be used when not contributing.
- When using automatic scaling at assessment level, showing the % on the markbook page will give the % based on the markbook scheme and not the % student achieved in that assessment(s).
- When using no scaling at assessment level, showing the grade on the marksheet page gives grade based on markbook scheme and is not helpful.
General rules:
- If using no scaling – marksheet should not contribute to current grade
- If using auto scaling on assessments – do not show % on marksheet or markbook
- If using no scaling on assessments – do not show grade on marksheet or markbook
| | Auto-scaling | No scaling |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Edited Marksheet grading scheme | **Markbook**: Can show grade or % **Marksheet**: Show grade and/or % | **Markbook**: Can show grade or % **Marksheet**: Show grade and not % |
| Edited Assessment grading scheme | **Markbook**: Show grade not % **Marksheet**: Show grade not % | **Markbook**: Show % not grade **Marksheet**: Show % not grade |
| | Always use auto-scaling if contributing to current grade | Don’t have sheet contribute to current grade |
#### **Complex Example with weighted assessments**
This example has a marksheet with 3 assessments (40 marks, 32 marks, 40 marks) which have been weighted 20, 10, 70. Each assessment has an edited grading scheme to determine the boundaries.
Assessment 1
Assessment 2
Assessment 3
**If automatic or advanced scaling** is used then the output will be:
**If no scaling** was used the output would be:
### **How is this calculated and why is there a difference between the two?**
No scaling will calculate the % and then map this to the grades in the markbook scheme.
So in the above example the calculation would be
No scaling will calculate the % and then map this (44.875% in this example) to the grades in the markbook scheme.
If scaling is used, either automatic or advanced, then the mark is first scaled to the markbook scheme before the weighting is applied and the marks aggregated.
When using advanced scaling, it is easier to see how the marks are scaled.
This shows that 17 marks have been scaled to 16
and 10 marks have been scaled to 9.6.
This is the same for automatic scaling except I would need to work out the marks for myself. Eg.
17/40 scales to 40/100 i.e. 40% and 40% of 40 (max number of marks) = 16
Therefore when the marks have been scaled the result is 39% which when mapped to the grades in the markbook scheme will show a grade 3.
As with the simple example, if you use no scaling, then make sure this does not contribute to the current grade.
#### **Further Example with Auto scaling on Marksheet and no scaling on Assessments**
Although we have said only use no scaling if it is not contributing, it can be used at assessment level if the marksheet has been scaled to the markbook grades.
This next example scales the Marksheet to use the overall grade boundaries, and then uses no scaling with the notional component grade boundaries for each paper. In this example the percentages used for grade boundaries will look like this
Marksheet with auto scaling
First assessment
Second assessment
Therefore when you enter marks it will use the percentages, which may or may not show the correct notional grade for the paper. Both 38 and 55 are the min grade 5 for notional grade boundaries.
Whilst 55 marks on paper 2 has a notional grade of a 5, it only shows grade 4 in the marksheet because it is based on the marksheet %. And also notice that when added together it shows a grade 4 because whilst 38 & 55 are the minimum number of marks needed for notional grade 5 on each paper, the overall grade boundaries need a minimum of 94 to be awarded a grade 5.
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